Dead Island 2 is a brilliant first-person action RPG that allows players to explore several areas of Los Angeles, now known as Hell-A. Some of the game's locations take players to well-known real-life areas, while others remind them of the horror aspects of the game; there are plenty of visually stunning locations that are sure to be of interest to players.
These are by far the best locations that players should take the time to explore when they have the chance, as they'll be surprised by what they find and be blown away by some of the attention to detail in the environments.
Spoiler Warning: This list features some late-game areas
8 Halperin Hotel
When first visiting Halperin Hotel, the vibes of the game are still fresh to the player, and therefore exploring through a half-burning hotel is sure to have many players on the edge of their seat. However, once players get their bearings, they are sure to enjoy exploring this location a lot more.
Unlike other parts of Dead Island 2, Halperin Hotel focuses mainly on the hotel, as there is minimal area around it to explore. This doesn't stop it from being an interesting location, especially as it's the first area that reveals how abrupt the outbreak was, with the military attempting to melt bodies in the pool while a wedding was just about to start.
7 Monarch Studios
Hell-A and the area of Hollywood wouldn't be complete without players being able to see the celebrity side of the location. This is made even better when the player is able to explore the movie sets of some of the most popular films in the game while traveling through Monarch Studios.
Besides the celebrity movie trailers that have their fair share of the loot, the real excitement comes as players need to traverse through the different sets. These sets are all themed for their own movies and TV series that players may have spotted the posters for throughout their time in Hell-A, not to mention the costume-wearing zombies they'll also face.
6 Santa Monica
LA is known for its beautiful beaches that tourists are constantly visiting every single year. Along with the beach, there is also the lovely Pier that can be visited over in Santa Monica, though as of the recent outbreak, the rides move eerily alone as the end of the bear begins to fall apart.
The juxtaposition of such a happy place that players could imagine was once filled with people is now infested with the undead that roam both the pier and the beach that leads up to it. Santa Monica is brilliant to visit both at night when the Ferris Wheel glows or in the daytime when players can look out at the sea.
5 Bel-Air
One of the first locations players will be free to visit is also one of the best. Players can freely explore the houses of some of the most popular celebrities in Hell-A as they take a stroll through Bel-Air.
There is quite a mix of environments in Bel-Air as players come across several homes -- one being owned by a Streaming group, another by a classic movie celebrity, and one that the player can use as a safe house. This simple residential area is an interesting location to explore as well as one of the easiest to navigate.
4 Beverly Hills
Continuing with the amazing residential areas that players will be navigating in Dead Island 2, Beverly Hills is also home to plenty of celebrities though not as popular as those that take up residence in Bel-Air.
Besides more houses to loot, Beverley Hills is arguably one of the best locations for players to find the Apex types of Zombies needed to create certain perks for their weaponry. As players gradually meet the different types of Zombies throughout the story, they become regular visitors to certain areas in the different locations, and Beverly Hills has the most variety.
3 Hollywood Boulevard
The last location that players unlock in Dead Island 2 is quite a small area when compared to the other locations in the game. However, players won't be able to truly explore Hollywood Boulevard freely until they complete the main story of the title.
Although only a small section of it is above ground with the rest taking part in the last stretch of the Metro, players still have the chance to take a second to pretend they are walking down the red carpet, though it's now covered in blood and crowded by zombies.
2 Ocean Avenue
Eventually, players will find themselves in the commercial area of Hell-A, but there isn't any time for shopping. The Serling Hotel is completely overrun with zombies, and survivors are held up at the very top floor of the building.
Besides clearing the shopping plaza of zombies, there are also countless other buildings to explore around Ocean Avenue, such as stopping for a coffee or finding a way to break into the LA 24 News office building. Ocean Avenue itself opens up more exploration around other locations also as players help the survivors search for those that have gone missing.
1 Venice Beach
Out of all the areas players unlock, one of the greatest places to explore, be it day or night, is Venice Beach. As one of the largest open areas on the map that is above the surface, Venice Beach has a lot of open space, making it difficult for zombies to sneak up on the player.
Besides this, there are countless side quests as well as points of interest around the beach for players to uncover while also taking a moment to stop off at the Blue Crab and repair or upgrade their weaponry.